It may come as a shock to many, but the transfer portal era has been around for nearly eight years. And with eight cycles having come and gone, there's plenty of room to look back and assess how many of the additions and losses affected WVU football over the years.
It feels like college sports is quickly becoming 'the portal giveth, and the portal taketh away' type of world, and that is especially true for the non-blue blood schools, as it can be difficult to keep elite caliber talent at a program like West Virginia. Here are eight losses to the portal since it opened in late 2018 that the Mountaineers would have peferred to keep around.
8 biggest transfer portal era losses for the West Virginia Mountaineers
Tykee Smith
Smith left the program after 2020, recording 104 tackles and four interceptions during two seasons with the program and earning All-American honors as a sophomore. He ended up starting at Georgia, where he recorded 70 tackles and four interceptions as a senior before being selected in the 2024 NFL Draft. Now, he's a starter for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Akheem Mesidor
Mesidor was a two-time All-Big 12 selection at WVU before transferring to Miami (FL), where he developed into an elite defender. During his final season, Mesidor was a force to be reckoned with – recording 63 tackles, 12.5 sacks, and four forced fumbles while helping anchor a Miami (FL) defense which made a run to the College Football Playoff National Championship Game. He was drafted in the first round of the NFL Draft this year.
Daryl Porter Jr.
Porter also made the jump to Miami (FL) the same year as Mesidor. He was not quite as successful, but still played a significant role for the Hurricanes, finishing his career with 108 tackles and 18 pass breakups before finding his way to the NFL,
Jordan Jefferson
After a breakout 2022 season which saw him earn 31 tackles, 9.5 TFLs, five pass breakups, and three sacks, Jefferson left the Mountaineers to play his final year at LSU. He didn't post a dramatic increase in numbers, but also stayed steady despite the jump to the SEC, recording 36 tackles, seven TFLs and 2.5 sacks. He would go on to become an NFL fourth-round draft pick in 2024.
Kaden Prather
Prather showed glimpses of greatness as a sophomore for the Mountaineers, hauling in over 500 receiving yards. But then he left for greener Big Ten pastures, joining Maryland. He would go on to tally 1,290 receiving yards and nine touchdowns over his final two seasons with the Terrapins and was a 2025 NFL Draft pick.
CJ Donaldson Jr.
Donaldson left for his final season after his initial recruiter Neal Brown was fired, and he went to play for defending national champions Ohio State after accumulating over 2,000 yards during his three years in Morgantown. He tallied just 361 yards in a crowded Ohio State backfield, but given WVU's injuries at running back in 2025, he could have been a massive piece of Rich Rodriguez's team.
Josiah Trotter
After a 93-tackle performance as a sophomore, Trotter hit the portal and ended up in the SEC with Missouri. He played just as well there, posting 84 tackles and two sacks on the way to becoming a second-round draft pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Trey Lathan
Lathan had a breakout season for Kansas in 2025, recording 86 tackles (7 TFL) and five pass breakups, and one interception – that pick ended up coming against his former team, as Kansas walloped WVU 41-10.
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